Hey so I was like SUPER busy producing TV stuff coz that’s the shizz I do and in any case I haven’t been able to watch Disco (apparently that’s what we’re calling it now) until now so IT’S A DOUBLE WHAMMY LET’S PLAY THE TAPE
WE’RE ON VULC- I’ll stop shouting-We’re on Vulcan! WE see some Vulcan banter from Sarek and another Vulcan I didn’t hear the name of because of a loud ship in the background revving its engines at that exact moment.
The two Vulcans leave on the ship and that’s enough of that storyline coz we’re on the Discovery now where Burnham and Tilly are doing laps around the ship, wearing sports gear with the word ‘DISCO’ on it (apparently that’s what they call it now as well).
 |
| True story, I first saw the tops in the episode preview in another scene, and it took me three days, after I saw the tops on the Star Trek store, to realise they were short for ‘Discovery’ and not that the screw have a weekly disco wearing the word ‘disco’ … |
Burnham is getting Tilly fit enough to excel in the Starfleet command programme, allowing her to name drop the Constitution-class ship USS Enterprise, and remind us that this:
Exists simultaneously to this:
Lorca and Tyler are practising on a holodeck, which I’ll add didn’t appear anywhere in Star Trek until 100 years later. Even the shutting down sequence looks more high-res. Lorca offers Tyler the position of security chief on the ship.
BACK TO THE VULCANS
In a extremely sudden plot twist (we’re not actually at the crappy opening titles yet btw), Sarek’s colleague injects himself with the Extremis thingy from Iron Man 3 and calls out Sarek for liking humans, when they’re inferior. He blows up just seconds before Sarek has the sense to activate a shield around himself. And then the crappy opening titles play.
Burnham and Tilly gossip about Tyler who they then join for dinner. Tyler is the ‘I-will-judge-you-base-on-what-I-see-rather-than-the-rumours’ type in this trio. Suddenly Michael zones out and sees an image of Sarek bleeding on the floor as they have another cross-space meld, and then there’s a weird trippy out scene and now a badge-less (I’m not letting that go) Burnham is on Vulcan seeing a younger Sarek, Amanda Grayson and Burnham discuss the Vulcan Expeditionary Group’s rejection of her. Burnham naturally is devastated and believes she’s inferior, which Sarek does nothing to help with by suggesting fobbing her off to Starfleet before noticing present!Burnham and literally smacks Burnham out of his memory and awake in sickbay. She explains some ‘Logic Extremists’ were responsible for the bombing we saw in the pilot episode, not believing Sarek’s belief that she could be a Superman-type-messiah to the humans (that’s exactly how her explanation sounded). She asks Lorca for help, who contacts a Vulcan Admiral confirming the sabotage. He was on their way to confirm if two rogue Klingon houses were indeed negotiating an alliance against Kor’s new regime. Lorca volunteers to go get him, cutting off the Admiral’s protests.
They jump to the last known location. The gases render the sensors inoperable, so Burnham and a very high Staments (seriously I love this guy) figure out a way to boost Burnham’s connection so she can wake up Sarek.
 |
| High Staments is such a dork. |
Cornwall arives at the nebula to chew Lorca out – for using a mutineer, a POW and a guy pumping alien DNA into himself.
|
| Are you telling me you wouldn’t trust this guy to be in charge of the engineering on your massive volatile magic space drive? |
Lorca diffuses the situation with alcohol, so I guess that’s all good. Tyler, Tilly and Burnham fly into nebula. Burnham talks to Tilly about how Sarek believed she’d be the ultimate proof of Human and Vulcan coexistance and ended up to be his biggest disappointment. She reveals she can feel his dying thoughts, about her failing years later. They activate the boosters and push Burnham back into Sarek’s mind. Grayson gives Burnham a copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. As Sarek gives past!Burnham the bad news about her application, present!Burnham reveals herself. Sarek goes to attack her again, but this time she defends herself. She argues that his katra called her there, and to let her help him, but when the machine on the shuttle starts beeping, Tyler orders Tilly to sever the connection against Burnham’s wishes.
Lorca and Cornwall chat over a drink about their youth. Cornwall is worried about Lorca’s recent decisions, but Lorca claims it’s just wartime. Cornwall claims that Lorca is affected from Buran, but Lorca says he’s passed his tests. Cornwall continues to insinuate that Lorca isn’t healthy, citing the recent situation of him being back in command merely a week after being tortured (I mean, she has a point but also pretty sure other captains have bounced back in less time). Lorca responds by flirting, and Cornwall takes off her badge, which I guess is undressing?
Tyler starts to head back to Disco against Burnham’s objections, but after pointing out that people near death don’t think about other people’s failures but their own regrets, Burnham gets an inspiration.
Burnham goes back in and confronts Sarek. Sarek reveals that the VEF gave him a choice – if Burnham enters the VEF, they would not allow half-Vulcan Spock to apply, as that would lead to two ‘non-Vulcans’ among their ranks. It’s a beautifully acted scene, the skill in James Frain’s acting is shown as he conveys indecision without showing too much emotion. Of course, as we know and Sarek explains, Spock decided to join Starfleet, and thus his sacrifice was in vain. Burnham berates him for allowing her to believe she had failed him. Sarek reveals he understands now what that lie had done to Burnham over the years, that he had failed her, and he was ashamed. Burnham wakes Sarek up and he activates his transponder.
Lorca and Cornwall are in bed together. Cornwall touches Lorca’s back, causing him to predictably wake up startled, pull out a phaser and strangle Cornwall before coming to his senses. Cornwall understandably tells him this isn’t the actions of a man of whom ‘nothing is wrong’. Cornwall tells him she knows he’s lied on his psych. Lorca begs him to not take away his command, but Cornwall doesn’t listen.
Lorca congratulates Burnham on her rescue, and offers her a place on her bridge (he’s just giving them away!) (DOES THIS MEAN SHE’LL GET A BADGE PLEASE SAY SHE GETS A BADGE)!
Burnham talks to Sarek, who shies away from admitting what had happened between them, but Burnham knows she holds the cards now and doesn’t push him. She leaves, after promising to have the conversation with him one day, and calls him ‘father’, leaving Sarek in thought. I love these scenes between them.
Cornwall leaves to continue Sarek’s negotiations (I reckon 60% odds on her becoming dinner), telling Lorca when she returns they will work out a way for him to step down without ruining his career.
Burnham catches Tilly going for a run, and reflecting on what she has learnt, tells Tilly she gave her wrong advise and that she should find her own way to becoming captain. Tilly beams and assures Burnham she has.
Burnham joins Tyler to talk over tea, and they have a really adorable conversation about what Burnham has learnt that day and omg I love their friendship please don’t ruin it show. It’s also nice to see more of Burnham’s life coming back to her. I’ve commented on Martin-Green’s amazing acting of playing a Vulcan, then the more balanced comfortable first officer, and then a Burnham who has given up in life and now she’s coming back, and Marin-Green plays it brilliantly.
IT’S A TRAP as the Klingons quite graphically slash the throats of Cornwall’s security team (why do we even bother with them) and she is captured.
When informed, Lorca uncharacteristically declines to launch a rescue mission, electing to wait for orders instead in case it’s a trap. It appears he’s taken Cornwall’s advice on board, oh irony of irony.
IT’S HALF TWO IN THE MORNING BUT THE NIGHT IS YOUNG TIME FOR MORE TREK COZ IT’S MAGIC TO MAKE THE SANEST MAN GO MAD!
There’s no cold opener in this episode. We ain’t got time for that, it’s straight into the crappy opening title sequence!
Still no badge! ARGH! Is she an officer? What is she? Does she have a rank? Specialist isn’t a rank. YOUR UNIFORM IS INCORRECT! Anyway she’s narrating a log about how she’s getting back into her life and how she finds people around her. And worse, tonight she faces her greatest challenge on the ship. A party. (I feel ya.)
 |
| Ah, so here’s the Disco disco! |
Anyway Tilly, Burnham and Tyler all continue to be adorable and I mean I have misgivings about the plot but damn if I don’t love these characters to bits.
There’s also a nice touch in the episode – during Tyler’s dedication to those killed and injured during the War, he toasts a wounded officer who is played by a disabled actor, which is awesome casting!
Tyler and Burnham are called to the bridge (whilst being off-duty? Seems unfair and slightly dangerous considering Tyler seems a bit intoxicated but whatever), and on the way they accidentally collide with Staments and Culber, and Staments is even more high on shroooooms.
 |
| I love them all |
Dorks. Such Dorks.
Anyway they find an endangered giant space squid and protocol is to capture it to put it in a reserve. They beam the creature on board, before a suited intruder steps out of its mouth and shoots everyone idiotic enough to decide running at the guy (despite carrying ranged weapons) was a good idea. Burnham isn’t an idiot and actually takes cover. The intruder stalks through the ship, as doors are locked and for some bizzaro reason a couple of crew members run out the guy while he shoots them for absolutely no reason.
Oh hey! It’s Mudd. He threatens to find out what the Disco’s secret is and sell it to the Klingons in revenge. He’s joyfully dramatic about it, it’s fun to watch. Anyway he blows up the ship and we time jump back to the party (ah, it’s one of those Star Trek episodes …), where Staying Alive is playing, which I mean …
 |
| Fair play |
 |
| Also why does he get two collars on his top is it a different type or – like what’s happening? |
The Star Trek franchise is copyright of CBS. Most screen caps are thus owned by them and are used in this blog under Fair Use.
